A method for energy calibration of a pulsed cutting laser for eye surgery comprises irradiating a sample material with a plurality of sets of laser pulses of the cutting laser with pulse energies differing from set to set. This method also comprises analyzing at least one visually perceptible discoloration structure created in the sample material as a result of the irradiation, selecting the pulse energy of one of the sets based on the analysis, and setting a treatment pulse energy for the cutting laser based on the selected energy.